The Role of the Elementary School Principal in Program Improvement

Abstract

In the search for factors that influence school effectiveness, the role of the elementary school principal has emerged as critical. Yet the bulk of past research focused on that role has provided limited insights to explain how principals go about improving the effectiveness of their schools; surprisingly few studies have asked that question directly. Using a framework for planned change, this study assessed the status of knowledge about effective and ineffective principal behaviours. Obstacles that principals face in their attempts at school improvement were also reviewed. Results point to areas of existing knowledge in which confidence can be placed and to useful approaches to subsequent research.

Instructional leadership in Greek and English outstanding schools

“…Policy makers' emerging emphasis on improving teaching and learning led to an interest in the concept of principal instructional leadership in the USA (e.g., Leithwood and Montgomery, 1982;Hallinger and Murphy, 1986;Marcoulides and Heck, 1992;Hallinger and Heck, 1996), and England (e.g., Day et al, 2001;Southworth, 2002;MacBeath and Swaffield, 2008). However, there has been very little discussion in Greece about how leadership is conceptualized by school practitioners and whether leadership contributes to school improvement (e.g.…”

An Exploratory Study on Principals' Conceptions about Their Role as School Leaders

“…From the early to the late 1980s, literature was dominated by instructional leadership. This body of research defined effective leadership as strong, directive leadership focused on curriculum and instruction from the principal (Edmonds, 1979;Leithwood & Montgomery, 1982). Since the 1990s, researchers shifted their attention to transformational leadership (Bass, 1997;Leithwood & Jantzi, 2000;Silins & Mulford, 2002).…”

Using social network methods to study school leadership

“…An extensive empirical knowledge base suggests that school leadership, often somewhat narrowly focused on school principals, can influence those in-school conditions that enable improvement in teaching (Leithwood & Montgomery, 1982;Bossert, Dwyer, Rowan, & Lee, 1982;Hallinger & Murphy, 1985;Louis, Marks, & Kruse, 1996;Rosenholtz, 1989) and indirectly affect student achievement (Hallinger & Heck, 1996;Leithwood, Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom, 2004). Perhaps responding to this evidence, philanthropic and government agencies have invested more energy and resources on developing school leadership, typically though not always focused on school principal preparation and professional development programs.…”